Hey all,

I have a cracked headlight lens on my TE that i'm needing to replace, but have no idea how to remove it and install a new lens. Have seen replacement lenses on ozeparts, but have been told my mitsu dealer that they only supply full headlight replacement at around $400.

Any help much appreciated

You can get just the glass lens from a mitsu spare parts joint or somewhere.. give a few places a call.

i dont know if the 3rd gens are the same as 2nd gens, im assuming all headlights use the same system but heres what i did when mine cracked.

What u need is a hair dryer, use that to heat up and melt the edges around where the glass is held down. With gloves and maybe plyers, pick out all the broken glass untill theres nothing left.

then replace the lens with a new one, and just heat up the edges again, slowly pop the glass in. Make sure its in tight :D

I think i paid around $70 for a new lens.

Don't use a hair drier - it is very slow....

I have taken apart my headlights that many times (modifying for HID's) - use an oven.

1) Pry the little metal clips off with a screwdrive and save for later.

2) Heat the oven up to about 150-180 degrees, and then turn it off. Place your headlight in there face down (glass face down) for 10 minutes. Don't let any of the plastic touch any metal parts in the oven, as you will melt them.

3) Use a paint scraper (about 1" wide) and slowly pry the headlight lens from the body. The glue (butyl mastic) is like mozarella cheeze, so cut the 'strings' with a razor blade as they form - if you get any where you don't want them, you can clean off with mineral turps.

4) Now is your chance to clean any crap out of the headlights - if the reflector is fogged (common, from bulbs with coatings - eg blue rice bulbs, or from slightly dirty bulbs) you can clean this up with lens cloth and breath fog (use the drop and drag method).

5) Place the new lens onto the headlight body, and place into oven (reheated to 150-180 degrees again) - leave for 10 minutes, and the body will have 'sunk' onto the lens (the glue melts again).

6) Put the clips into position, and place in oven again for a couple of minutes.

7) Remove from oven and allow to cool.

8) Make a lemon icing from... oh wrong recipie.


Cheers
Heath Young

Genuin Headlights for my TH were only $140 each $400 sounds bit steep? but Partsworld is a good place to try they are in the book cheap and can deliver to anywhere in Australia